Drawing sheet glass



1366- 1930- c. A ROWLEY ET AL DRAWING SHEET GLASS Filed Sept.

0175 6//7fv/z/Af?m// JasqahA Reece A 7' ERA/E ticula-rly to an improve Patented Dec. 16, 1930 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE CLIFFORD A. ROWLEY, OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS, AND JOSEPH A. REECE, OF TOLEDO,

OHIO, ASSIGNORS TO LIBBEY-OWENS-FORD GLASS COMPANY, OF TOLEDO, OHIO, A

CORPORATION OF OHIO DRAWING SHEET GLASS Application filed September 23, 1926. Serial No. 137,360.

Thisinvention relates to improvements in the art of drawing sheet lass, and more parc? process and apparatus for flowing and drawing glass downwardly in sheet form.

Many systems have been proposed for forming sheet glass by flowing the glass downwardly from the molten source, and carrying the formed sheet away horizontally through a leer. These systems divide themselves into two classes,first, those in which the sheet is bent while still plastic into the horizontal plane and then flattened and carried, throu h the leer as a continuous sheet, and secon those in which the sections are successively severed from the downwardly moving sheet and these sections transferred one by one into the horizontal plane and then carried awa through the leer. One of the main objections to the latter process, 18 the constantly var ing weight of glass that will be suspended ,rom the sheet source, and it s this weight of glass, with or without the addition .of some drawing means, which determines the downward sheet-forming pull on the sheet. It will readily be understood that a maximum weight of glass sheet is suspended from the source just before a sheet sect on is chopped off from the downwardly moving sheet, and that a maximum weight of sheet is suspended justafter this sheet sect on has been removed.

One object of the present invention is to provide an apparatus whereby the downward pull on the forming sheet is constant at all times. The weight of all the sheet below the upper sheet-forming zone is carried by the drawing and cutting mechanism, and the varying amount of sheet suspended from this mechanism has no effect on the pull that will be exerted at the sheet source. Another object of the invention is to provide a sim 1e and easily operated mechanism for trans erring the severed sheet sections from the vertical to the horizontal plane and earring them into the leer without injury to the firepolished surfaces of the sheet.

Other objects and advantages of this invention will be apparent from the following detailed description of one approved form of mechanism embodying the principles of.

this invention.

In the accompanying drawings:

Fig. 1 is an elevation of the mechanism, partly in vertical section,

Fig. 2 is a transverse vertical section converging sides of a refractory slab or sup porting member 2. These streams unite at the lower edge 3 of the slab and the glass is drawn downwardly from this edge in the;

form of the glass sheet 4. The slab 2 is preferably enclosed in a protecting and heating chamber 5 and necessary means will be provided (not shown) for maintaining the roper temperature conditions in this chamer. veying mechanism about to be described is especially well adapted for use with a sheetforming mechanism of the type just briefly referred to, it will be understood that the present invention is also applicable for use with any other sheet-forming apparatus where the sheet is drawn downwardly from a molten source.

Positioned at opposite sides of each edge of the downwardly moving sheet 4 are similar chain loops 6 and 7, the edge ofthe sheet being gripped between the downwardly moving runs of these chain loops, as indicated more in detail in Fig. 4. Any suitable chain construction may be used and preferably the outer surfaces of the links are ribbed or knurled, as indicated at 8, to insure a positive grip on the glass sheet. The downwardly moving sheet-gripping runs of the two chains will travel between suitable guides 9, which will preferably be 'yieldably and adjustably mounted from the supporting structure near-by. The pairs of chains 6 and 7 at While the drawing, cutting and conthe two edges of the sheet are supported at their ends on suitable sprockets 10, and the driving sprockets 10 at the lower ends of the chain 100 s are secured to a pair of transverse sha ts 11 which are eared together by intermeshing gears 12, so t at all four of the chain loops will travel simultaneously and at the same rate. Preferably, the chains will be driven at a speed slightly greater than the normal rate at which the sheet 4 would flow downwardly under its own weight. In this way a constant pull is exerted on the forming zone of the sheet between the lower edge 3 of slab 2 and the upper sprockets 10, where the sheet is first engaged by the edge-drawing means. This pull will be the combined drawing pull of the chains 6 and 7 and the weight of the sheet between the slab and the up er sprockets.

xtending transversely of the sheet and joined to and carried by the chains at opposite edges of the sheet, are a series of cutting members for severing the sheet into sections during the period that it is engaged by the drawing means. As here shown, there are three sets of these members, although other numbers might be used, depending on the size of the sheet sections to be cut and the length of the chain loops 6 and 7. As here shown, crossbars 13 formed integrally with certain of the links of chain 6, each have a projecting knife edge 14 at the outer side of the loop. Cross-bars 15 connected with corresponding links of the chain 7 are each formed with a transverse socket or depression 16 in which the knife edge 14 will substantially fit.. As the mating bars 13 and 15 pass around the upper sprockets 10 into engagement with the glass sheet, the knife edge 14 will cut through the sheet and pass into-socket or sheath 16. At the same time the sheet sections, both above and below the cutting line, will be gripped by the roughened surfaces of the cross-bars 13 and 15, as clearly indicated in Fig. 4. In this way, at intervals corresponding to the lines on which the sheet 1s cut, the downwardly moving sheet will be gripped across its entire body portion in addition to the constant pull on the sheet edges. At the same time the severed sheet section below the cutting line will be suspended from the transverse bars 13 and 15 in addition to the support given by the edgegripping chains 6 and 7. There will always be one, and sometimes two, of these pairs of gripping bars in engagement across the body of the downwardly moving sheet.

It will be noted that from the timethe sheet is first gripped between the chains on a line with the upper sprockets 10, until the sheet sections are successively released below the lower sprockets 10, the weight of this portion of the sheet is carried by these edge-gripping loops and by the pairs of cross-bars 13 and 15. The pull on the upper portion of the sheet between the source and the drawing means will be constant regardless of the amount of sheet suspended from the drawing chains and the cutting bars.

At a suitable distance below the drawing means justdescribed is a constantly driven endless conveyor belt 17. This belt may be carried on drums 18 at the ends of the loop, and the upper sheet-carrying run of the belt will travel over a horizontal supporting table 19. A series of transverse cleats 20, preferably formed of wood or some material which will not injure the surfaces of the sheet, are secured to the outer surface of the belt 17.

A series of slightly inclined, preferably wooden, bars 21, are positioned at one side of the path of the downwardly moving glass sheet 4. The lower ends 22 of these bars extend nearly to the u per surface of belt 17, and are practically in line with the vertical plane in which the sheet 4 moves. The

.upper ends 23 of the bars extend approxiaway from the plane of the sheets vertical movement. A series of buffer guide-members 24 are pivoted at 25 adjacent the lower ends 22 of bar 21, and springs 26 acting against up-turned lever arms 27 on these bufi'ers act to hold the forwardly projecting arms 28 normally in the path of the downwardly moving sheet. As each sheet section is released from the supporting chains and grip bars 13 and 15, the lower edge of the sheet, which will be only slightly spaced above the arms 28, will drop onto these arms, and as the springs 26 yield under the weight of the sheet, the buffer members will swing downwardly as indicated in dotted lines and guide the lower edge of the sheet onto the upper surface of the belt between certain of the cleats 20. At the same time the upper edge of the sheet section will fall back against the upper portions of the guide bars 21. As the belt 17 is continuously moving in the direction of the arrows, the lower edge of the sheet will be carried away from the guide bars 21 and the upper edge of the sheet will slide down these bars, as indicated in Fig. 1. In this figure, dotted lines 29 indicate the position of a sheet section just after it has fallen from the drawing and supporting means. In full lines at 30 is indicated the position of a sheet which has been partly transferred from the vertical to the horizontal plane. During this lowering process the toothed surface formed at the sheet edges by the teeth 8 on chains 6 and 7, will tend to engage with cleats 20 to insure a more positive connection between the lower end of the sheet and conveyor 17.

It will be noted that the sheet sections. which have become sufficiently set while passing through the drawing mechanism to ill) be self-supporting, contact with the guide bars 21 only along their upper edges so that there will be no sliding engagement with the polished surface of the sheet, thus diminishing the chances of injury thereto. As the upper edge of the'sheet section nears the lower ends of guide bars 21, this edge of the After the sheet 30 has been deposited in horizontal position upon this conveyor, 1t.

will be carried forwardly onto the driven rollers 31 in leer 32 and slowly carried forward througluthe leer as usual in such installations.

We claim:

1. In a sheet glass making apparatus, means for flowing gas continuously downward in sheet forin means for successively severing the sheet into sections, and for suspending the severed sections until set, a horizontal conveyor having a series of cleats, means for guiding the lower edge of each sheet as it is released from the suspending means into engagement with one of the cleats, and means for supporting the sheet at its upper-edge until the sheet is laid upon the conveyor.

2. That improvement in the art of making sheet glass, which consists in flowing a sheet of glass vertically downward, severing the sheet into sections, dropping the lower edge of each successive section into engagement.

with a horizontally traveling supporting member, and gradually lowering the upper edge of the sheet as the lower edge is carried horizontally until the section is laid flat upon the supporting member.

3. That improvement in the art of making sheet glass, which consists in flowing a sheet of glass vertically downward, severing the sheets into sections, supporting each successive section initially upon its lower edge and gradually lowering the upper edge of the sectionby carrying the lower edge thereof horizontally.

4. That improvement in the art of making sheet glass, which consists in flowing a sheet ofglass vertically downward, severing the I sheets into sections, supporting each successive section initially uponits lower edge and gradually lowering the upper edge of the section by carrying the lower edge horizon tally, and supporting the sheet at its upper edge until it assumes a horizontal position.

5. In apparatus for forming sheet glass, means for flowing gas continuouslydownwardly in sheet form, means for successively severing the sheet into sections, and a horizontally traveling conveyor for receiving and supporting each successive section initially upon its lower edge and then gradually lowering itsupper edge by carrying its lower edge horizontally; V

supporting each successive section initially -upon its lower edge and then gradually low- 6. In apparatus for forming sheet glass, means for flowing glass continuously downwardly in sheet form, means for successively severing the sheet into sections, a horizontally traveling conveyor for receiving and Y0 ering its upper edge by carrying its lower edge horizontally, and means for supporting the section at its upper edge until said section is laid horizontally upon the conveyor.

7. In apparatus for forming sheet glass, means for flowing glass continuously downwardly in sheet form, means for successively severing the sheet into-sections, a horizontally traveling conveyor for receiving and supporting each successive section initially upon its lower edge and then gradually lowering its upper edge by' carrying its lower edge horizontally, and means for guiding the lower edge of each successive section into engagement with the conveyor.

8. In apparatus for forming sheet glass, means for flowing glass continuously downwardly in sheet form, meansfor successively severing the sheet into sections, a horizontally traveling conveyor for receiving and supporting each successive section initially upon its lower ed e and then gradually lowering its upper edge by carrying its lower edge horizontally, means for supporting the section at its upper-edge until said section is laid horizontally upon the conveyor, and means for guidin the lower edge of each successive section into engagement with said conveyor.

9. In apparatus for formingsheet glass,- means for flowing glass continuously downwar'din sheet form, means forsuccessiv'cly severing the sheet into sections, and means for receiving the successive sections while still in a generally vertical position and causing them to assume a generally horizontal position by carrying their lower edges forwardly;

10. In ap aratus for forming sheet lass, means for fl bwing glasscontinuously ownward in sheet form, means forsuccessively severing the sheet into sections, means for. guiding the released sections into the hori- :15 zontal plane. by carrying their lower edges forwar ly, and a conveyor onto which the sections are laid by the guiding means.

11. In apparatus for forming sheetglass, means for flowing glass continuously down- 120 wardly in sheet form, means for successively severing the sheet into sections, a horizontally traveling conveyor for receiving and sup porting each successive section initially upon its lower edge and then gradually lowering its 12 upper edge by carrying its lower edge horizontally, inclined stationary supporting means mounted above the conveyor adjacent one end thereof for supporting the sheet section at its upper edge until said section is laid horizontally upon the conveyon, and means positioned beneath the sup orting means and projecting into the path 0 travel of the sheet section for initially engaging the lower edge thereof and guiding the same into engagement with said conveyor.

12. In apparatus for forming sheet glass, means for flowing glass continuously downwardly in sheet form, means for successively severing the sheet into sections, a horizontally traveling conveyor for receivin and supporting each successive section initially upon its lower edge and then gradually lowering its upper edge by carrying its lower edge horizontally, inclined stationary supporting means mounted above the conveyor adjacent one end thereof for supporting the sheet section at its upper edge until said section is laid horizontally upon the conveyor, means positioned beneath the supporting means and projectin into the path of travel of the sheet section %or initially engaging the lower edge thereof and gulding the same into engagement with said conveyor, and spring means acting to normally maintain the last-named means in the path of travel of the sheet sections.

13. In apparatus for forming sheet glass, means for flowing glass continuously downwardly-in sheet form, means for successively severing the sheet into sections, a horizontally traveling conveyor for receiving and supporting each successive section initially upon its lower edge and then gradually lowering its upper edge by carrying its lower edge horizontally, inclined stationary supporting means mounted above the conveyor adjacent one end thereof for supporting the section at its upper edge until said section is laid horizontally upon the conveyor, and spring actuated bufi'er means positioned beneath the sup orting means in the path of the downwar ly moving sheet section and adapted to initially engage the lower edge of said section and guide the same onto the conveyor. Si ned at Chicago, in the county of Cook, and tate of Illinois, this 20th day of September, 1926.

CLIFFORD A. ROWLEY. Signed at Toledo, in the county of Lucas, and State of Ohio, this 21st day of September,1926.

JOSEPH A. REECE. 

